John Welsford’s Small Craft Designs

When Peter Glover visited New Zealand recently he came away clutching the catalogue of a small boat designer of those parts called John Welsford. Knowing I was a another keen amateur boatbuilder, he passed it on to me for my comments.

The designs vary from a 6’ flattie yacht tender, to a 21’ trailer-sailer. It is unnecessary to comment on the flat-bottomed designs as similar ones can be found in most designers lists. These cater for the beginner or someone looking for a cheap and cheerful knockabout. However, it is said that flat-bottomed boats are easy to build, but difficult to design. So without experience of the actual models it would be dangerous to comment on them.

The rest of the designs are described as multi-chine, but in fact they all have a flat bottom to some extent, although none the worse for that. It would appear that the sides are intended to be built by what has become known as glued clinker construction, which should be better looking than the average stitch and glue creation. The shape would be familiar to those who know the Swampscott dory and dory skiffs of New England. In fact much has been borrowed from the design books of John Gardner.

It is interesting to see in the photographs, that the ready availability of good bamboo in New Zealand has had considerable influence on the rigs. Sprit booms are almost universal in the smaller designs. Reefing therefore is not so easy when afloat. Our own solid spars make jiffy reefing systems simple to arrange. This cannot be true when using bamboo spars. Nevertheless if one were to build one of these boats it would be fairly simple to design a more conventional rig for it.

Most of the designs are of sailing dinghies. But there are also a couple of rowing boats; Joansa 15 ft and the Light Dory 16 ft. Anyone looking for a ply/epoxy construction rowing boat should consider these. To my mind these are both excellent although I would prefer a little more length. There is a 17 foot design but it wasn’t included in the catalogue. There is also an outboard powered runabout called Rifleman at 14 ft. It is designed for a maximum speed of 25 mph and accordingly its shape would probably make for easier rowing in an emergency. Worth looking at if one wanted to build such a craft in wood.

Of the sailing boats the most appealing to me is the 21 foot trailer-sailer, Penguin. Four berths contained in such a length is to me a nonsense, but Bermudan or gaff rig to choice, a short cocked up bowsprit and a trailing weight of only 970 kg are all attractive.

To dinghy cruisers the most interesting boats would probably be Houdini, a lug rigged boat of 13’2”, and the 14’ 10” Navigator which can be rigged as sloop, yawl or cat boat. Both are fitted with centreboards. His smaller designs have dagger boards, which I find undesirable. What is certain about John Welsford’s boats is that they are all good looking boats, well proportioned with a bold sheer. All worth looking at if you favour something individual in this age of mass production.

Write in the first instance to: John Welsford, Small Craft Design, 117 Hamurana Road, Ngongotaha,New Zealand. Tel:(07) 357 5354 Mobile (025) 979 322